Chapter Five: The Rise of Legacy and the Supreme Technique
The suffocating, putrid silence of the sewer was no longer terrifying for Arthur. For him, it had become a training ground. As he cut through the black, filthy water of the drain, his body was changing with every passing second. The energy of the First Egg within him had now completely merged into the fibers of his muscles.
Arthur was running through the dirty, toxic sewer water, yet his feet were not touching the ground; they were skimming over the surface of the water itself. The moment he reached a bend in the dark tunnels, a terrifying explosion occurred inside his mind. It was not pain, but an information overload.
His body suddenly came to a halt. A void spread before his eyes, and he caught a glimpse of the center of the universe.
Ancient Legacy: The Message of the Mother Queen
From within the darkness, a divine yet dreadful voice echoed. It was the voice of the Ancient Mother Queen, the one who had laid the six eggs millions of years ago. The memories sealed within Arthur's DNA awakened.
"My descendant. You are not merely a puppet of flesh. You are the heir to the 'First Order' of the universe, an origin even the gods have forgotten. This first egg—'the Seed of Existence'—will grant you a power beyond anything you have ever imagined."
At that very moment, golden letters began to float in Arthur's mind like a sacred scroll. It was—
"Universal Energy Fusion: Supreme Technique"
It was divided into seven parts.
For now, Arthur could only practice the first part of the Supreme Technique.
First Part: Universal Pulse
He calmed his mind and practiced the Universal Pulse formula, turning his awareness inward. Within his inner body, he saw five eggs rotating around a golden core in strange, intricate patterns.
Arthur realized that the Gene-X Serum inside his body was not poison at all, but fuel—fuel that this ancient technique had fully absorbed.
Energy Fusion:
This technique allowed Arthur to absorb a specific type of energy and convert it into physical power, cultivating it to advance further along the path of evolution.
The First Pulse:
What is outside is inside. What is void is complete.
The moment Arthur recited this formula within his mind, the blood rushing through his veins began to glow like molten gold. His cells learned ultra-fast regeneration. After that, nothing else changed—yet.
Arthur suddenly stopped and held his breath. He closed his eyes and focused his newly awakened hundred senses.
His consciousness passed through the concrete walls of the sewer and expanded upward. He could hear everything—the heavy footsteps of security guards in the corridors above, the static from their walkie-talkies, and even the faint sound of smoke being exhaled after they lit their cigarettes.
"Two guards. At the main exit. Three more in the left corridor," Arthur whispered. His voice carried a new depth, like a predator counting its prey.
Arthur was ready to infiltrate.
He grabbed a rusted iron pipe leading upward. With just a slight exertion of force, the pipe bent like wet clay. His physical strength had far surpassed that of any ordinary athlete. Moving silently, like a cat, he entered the lab through the ventilation shaft.
The moment he landed on the lab floor, he felt a strange surge of energy in his body. His hair stood on end. It was his sixth sense, warning him of danger.
"Who's there?" a heavy voice echoed.
A security guard approached, shining his torch toward Arthur's hiding spot. Arthur pressed himself against the wall. His heartbeat remained calm. He felt his body naturally blending into the shadows.
As the guard came closer, Arthur moved at lightning speed. The guard didn't even get a chance to scream. Arthur grabbed his throat with one hand, his fingers clamping down like iron shackles.
"Look at me. See who I am," Arthur said coldly, staring into the guard's eyes. Terror was clearly visible there. Arthur gave a slight twist—
Crack.
The guard's body dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Arthur could now feel his power. His muscles could harden like steel. He took a tactical knife and a pistol from the guard's belt. But the moment he held the gun, a strange sense of disgust rose within him. He no longer needed such mechanical weapons. His own body had become the deadliest weapon of all.
Suddenly, the alarm blared.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Red lights danced through the corridors.
"Subject A has escaped! Move quickly, capture him—he's alive! All units, proceed to Sector Four!"
Dr. Vamas's panicked voice echoed through the loudspeakers.
A cruel smile spread across Arthur's face.
"Run? No, Vamas. I'm not running. I've come back. This time, I'm here to send you to hell."
A squad of four guards turned the corner and immediately opened fire at Arthur.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Under normal circumstances, Arthur's body would have been torn apart. But now, time itself seemed to slow down. His senses, enhanced a hundredfold, tracked every bullet's trajectory. He moved like a blurred shadow through the air. Some bullets grazed his skin, but the ones that struck directly were flattened against his steel-like muscles.
"What… what is this thing?" one guard screamed, disbelief filling his eyes. "Bullets aren't working on it!"
Swallowing hard, another guard muttered,
"Is this some kind of monster?"
Arthur did not stop. He lunged at them like a starving cheetah. His first punch struck a guard square in the chest. The impact was so powerful that the bulletproof vest tore apart, and the guard was flung ten feet backward, smashing into the wall. His ribs were completely shattered.
Inside the control room, Dr. Vamas wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Activate Project Vajra! Now!" he ordered his assistant.
"But sir, Vajra isn't fully stabilized yet. It could go out of control," the assistant said fearfully.
"I don't care! If this boy survives, we're all dead!" Vamas slammed his hand on the table. He was utterly terrified.
Meanwhile, Arthur was wreaking havoc inside the lab. Along the way, he saw Room Number Thirty-Two, the very place where he had once been bound. Seeing that room reminded him of his mother's helplessness and his sister's deep, haunting eyes. His blood boiled.
He looked at the black knife in his hand. The metal had already synchronized with his blood.
As Arthur passed a special reinforced door, he looked at the scene ahead and said quietly,
"So this must be a subject."
A massive hydraulic door opened. Heavy footsteps echoed.
Standing before him was Vajra—a seven-foot-tall monster, half machine and half swollen blue muscle. Gigantic hydraulic hammers were attached to his arms.
Vajra glared at Arthur and growled,
"So you're the new toy?"
"I'll teach you what pain really is today!" Vajra roared and swung his massive hammer toward Arthur.
Arthur tried to block the strike with his knife, but the hammer was so heavy that he was pushed backward.
"Good strength, but no intelligence," Arthur thought coldly.
Vajra attacked again. This time, instead of dodging, Arthur used his new ability—Cellular Hardening. He raised his left palm to meet the hammer.
When the hammer struck his palm, a metallic clang echoed through the lab. Arthur's hand did not break. Instead, a dent appeared in the hammer itself.
Seizing the opportunity, Arthur drove the black knife into Vajra's mechanical side. The blade began slicing through circuits and machinery. Vajra writhed in agony.
"This pain is just the beginning," Arthur whispered into his ear. "The real hell starts now."
In the middle of the battle, flashes of memory flooded Arthur's mind. He remembered the ancient ruins he had once visited, and the inscription carved there—it said that whoever bore the six eggs would gain not only power, but also the responsibility to maintain cosmic balance.
"Balance?" Arthur questioned himself.
"My balance will only be restored when these sinners are erased."
He focused all his power into his right hand. White light surged through the veins in his arm. With a single devastating punch, he pierced straight through Vajra's chest.
The giant body collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Arthur now stood right outside Dr. Vamas's cabin. He activated his enhanced scent and could smell Vamas's fear from inside.
He kicked the door open in a single strike.
Inside, Vamas stood trembling, aiming a revolver at him. His legs shook uncontrollably.
"Stay back! I'll kill you!" Vamas shouted, his voice quivering.
Arthur slowly walked forward. Bullets struck his chest and fell to the floor. His self-healing was so fast that his wounds closed before they could even fully form.
"Vamas, you chose a cripple because you thought he couldn't fight," Arthur said, grabbing Vamas by the throat and lifting him into the air. "But you never considered that someone with nothing left to lose is the most dangerous of all."
"Please… forgive me! I'll give you everything you want! Money, power… your sister!" Vamas stammered.
Arthur's grip tightened.
"My sister? Where is she?"
"She… she's in the secret lab of Sector Seven. She's also a subject," Vamas said with his last breath.
Arthur's eyes turned blood-red. Gene-X hadn't just turned him into a tool—it had destroyed his family.
He dangled Vamas out of the window and demanded,
"Where exactly is my sister? Speak now, or I'll throw you out."
Trembling, Vamas cried,
"Forty-two kilometers from here… Poli Mountain. Lab Number Seven, the frozen lab."
"Please, let me go!"
In his mind, Vamas thought, If I survive this, I'll turn you into my dog.
The hatred in his eyes was unmistakable.
Arthur saw the truth in those eyes and knew his sister was really there.
"Do you have any cash or money here?" Arthur asked.
Saying this, he dragged Vamas back inside and forced him to guide the way.
"Don't try anything clever. If you do, I'll break your head and plant it like a flowerpot."
Vamas's soul trembled with fear.
Only one thought echoed in his mind—This boy is cruel. Extremely cruel.
Along the way, Arthur freed every subject he encountered, but before doing so, he covered his face with cloth to hide his identity.
Vamas handed over all the money from the vault. Arthur stuffed it into a bag.
Arthur didn't want to waste any more time. He had to save his sister.
He told Vamas to look the other way.
The moment Vamas turned—
Arthur snapped his neck.
Perhaps Vamas thought, At least he could have warned me.
After Vamas's death, the lab fell completely silent.
Arthur quietly set the lab on fire, erasing all remaining evidence.
As he stepped outside, the entire building was engulfed in flames. This was no ordinary fire—due to the massive amount of explosive materials inside, the blaze consumed the entire facility.
Arthur did not look back.